Various artists in International Music

"World Network, Vol. 47: Armenia" (04/13/1999) International Various Artists, Network/Harmonia Mundi - (import)

"Bailable 100%: Salsa & Merengue" (08/18/2005) International Various Artists, Yoyo USA

"My Gentle Harp" (01/26/2005) International Various Artists, CeltophileProducers include: Stephen Cooney, Deanta, Freeland Barbour, Joe Burke, Mick Moloney. Compilation producer: Tom Rota. Personnel: Kate OBrien (guitar, fiddle); Anton Seoane (guitar, accordion, keyboards); Mary Dillon (harp, synthesizer); Eoghan O'Brien, Rodrigo Roman¡, Barbara Nolan, Rosalyn Briley (harp); Xose V. Ferreiros (mandolin, gaita, tin whistle, oboe); Michel Canada (violin); Joe Burke (flute); Nando Casal (gaita, tin whistle, clarinet); Rosie Mulholland (keyboards). Celtophile's My Gentle Harp collects traditional Celtic harp melodies into a budget-priced CD. Deanta's "Harp Airs (Rock Of Esse)," Joe Burke's "Blind Mary," Sileas' "Miss Gordon of Gight," Eugene O'Donnell's "Farewell to My Gentle Harp," and Jerry O'Sullivan's "O'Carolan's Farewell to Music" are a few of the highlights from this affordable sampler of authentic Celtic sounds. ~ Heather Phares

"The Mexican Revolution [Box]" (10/07/1996) International Various Artists, ArhoolieIncludes 178-page booklet with lyrics, photos and liner notes/annoations by Guillermo E. Hernandez and Chris Stachwitz. Recorded between 1904 & 1974. You can't get much more specialized than this four-CD box when it comes to historical recordings, but it's an impressive accomplishment with great value for researchers into Mexican music and history. The 180-page booklet (informative social history notes, period photos, and full English-Spanish lyrics for all 59 songs) in The Mexican Revolution place the corrido as a people's newspaper (see calypso, rai) in depicting events associated with the early-20th century political developments in Mexico. The songs are mini history lessons and exercises in popular myth-making, which make them a pretty direct link to the current crop of narco-corridos released by Los Tigres del Norte and others. They were almost certainly the vehicle for the vast majority of everyday Mexicans to hear the details of major battles, or events related to the life of Pancho Villa, or the heroism of some local figures who otherwise would have passed into anonymity. The earliest track, "Jes£s Leal" by Rafael Herrera Robinson, was recorded to wax cylinder in 1904 and may be the first corrido ever recorded and a second comes from 1908, so the depth of the research is obvious. The majority come from the so-called Golden Age of the '20s and '30s, with a significant minority from the '60s in what looks like a generational rediscovery. Most were initially divided into parts one and two to fit on both sides of a 78, but are very smoothly united here. It wasn't that hard given the simple structure of corridos -- just stop at the end of a verse to close part one, add a couple introductory bars of the same guitar melody to start part two, and away you go. The problem for most listeners on a musical level is that there are limits to how much of one form and general lyric theme you can take, especially since most of the artists simply tell their tales without many arrangement adornments. Arhoolie wrings the maximum possible variety out of the music via dividing the discs by themes and savvy sequencing ruled by listening flow and not chronology. Following are some thoughts should the discs be available individually. For history freaks, "Outlaws and Revolutionaries" has the two oldest tracks and opens with the most recent one, "Ignacio Parra" from 1972 by Los Alegres de Ter n. The latter is also among the distinct minority of accordion corridos on this disc, with the majority dating from the '20s and '30s and featuring acoustic guitars backing a couple of vocalists singing in harmony. "Benjam¡n Argumedo" (remarkably clear sounding for a 1935 recording) gets an almost 12-string guitar flavor, the fairly uptempo "Nuevo Corrido de Madero" is notable for its long, fast guitar riff, harp (not harmonica) pops in occasionally on "Valent¡n Mancera," and "El Cuartelazo" by Las Hermanas Mendoza is one of handful by female vocalists. The professionalism of Lydia Mendoza & Family shines at the end of the disc devoted to "The Francisco Villa Cycle," but the first half is accordion corridos. The fact they date from the '50s and '60s suggests a period shift in instrumentation, and "La Toma de Guadalajara" is doubly novel for being an example of early banda (i.e., Mexican brass band with tuba blats for bajo sexto and French horn skank) and male-female unison harmony singing. After the very lively take by Los Hermanos Chavarria backed by Trio San Antonio, there's a drop back three decades to the guitars on Hern ndez y Sifuentes -- but both share a common theme of taking great pride in Villa and poking fun in his escape from a U.S. Army expedition led by General Pershing, who crossed the border to capture him. Some of these songs were recorded within mere weeks or months after the event, but the older material sags -- Villa's defeat at Celaya is covered in three corridos, and none of them are particularly exciting. "Local Revolutionary Figures" presents a strong concept and is the best single disc for performance level and stylistic varie

"Traditional Korean Music" (04/06/2004) International Various Artists, Buda Records

"Tribute to Ray Holman: Steelbands of Trinidad and Tobago" (01/16/1995) International Various Artists, DelosLiner Note Author: Simeon L. Sandiford. Recording information: Panyard (02/02/1987-02/12/1994); Savannah Club (02/02/1987-02/12/1994); Trintoc (02/02/1987-02/12/1994). Arranger: Ray Holman. Part of an exceptional series of steel band recordings on Delos, this album is a collection of works written and arranged by Ray Holman, one of the big five in steel band composing. This is a nice set of recordings -- the sound quality is exceptional given that the recordings are made outdoors to accommodate the huge size of the bands (Here, the smallest band is 44 players, and the largest is 120). As should be expected, the music is of top quality -- it's all written by Holman. On top of this, the performances are wonderful. For any fan of steel band, the music of Holman should hold a special place, given his innovations to arranging. This album makes a nice show of it all. ~ Adam Greenberg

"Putumayo Presents: Arabic Groove" (06/12/2001) International Various Artists, PutumayoCompilation producers: Jacob Edgar, Elly Wininger, Corina Barsky. Includes liner notes by Zein Al-Jundi, Jacob Edgar. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Putumayo's WORLD MUSIC series. Liner Note Author: Jacob Edgar. Recording information: 2001. Illustrator: Nicola Heindl. It took Cheb Mami's collaboration with Sting on the latter's mega-hit "Desert Rose" to bring Arabic music into the collective consciousness of the Western world. Never ones to pass up a trend, the folks at Putumayo have scoured North Africa and the Middle East in search of more Arabic pop music. What they turned up is a collection of dance tracks that show the heavy influence of hip-hop, urban pop, funk, and other Western styles, while maintaining the cultural integrity of the region. There are even nods to the influence of American boy bands and sex symbols such as Ricky Martin and Janet Jackson on a few tracks. The swirling strings and ornate, sinuous melody lines characteristic of the Middle East are laid over funky, chugging rhythm tracks, creating a tapestry that is crossover-ready. The disc is heavy on Algerian rai and Egyptian al-jil, with more than half the artists represented from either Egypt or Algeria. The most recognizable name here is Natacha Atlas, whose orgasmic singing on "Kidda," remixed by Transglobal Underground, stands out over the others. Libyan artist Hamid El Shaeri's track "Hely Meli" combines the cooing female vocals of urban pop with samples of women ululating. The effect is startling. On a technical note, there is virtually no space between most of the tracks. While this usually serves to keep the dance groove going, sometimes it is a little abrupt, as the ends of some tracks get chopped off. Arabic Groove is an intense, high-energy release, sure to appeal to fans of cosmopolitan dance music worldwide. ~ Peggy Latkovich

"Hamnava'i" (04/14/1994) International Alizadeh, Hossein, Kereshmeh

"La Musica Prodigiosa, Vol. 2: Merengues" (08/19/2005) International Various Artists, Yoyo USA

"Boleros de Siempre [Yoyo Music]" (08/19/2005) International Various Artists, Yoyo USA